FLORENCE â€” The Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission has approved a plan that would transfer 107 acres of state land to Douglas County for all-terrain-vehicle use south of the Umpqua Lighthouse.

Opponents have criticized the plan because it would expand ATV riding and move it north of the entrance to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

Supporters of the plan called it a fair compromise and a necessary solution to what has developed into a free-for-all of ATV use.

â€œItâ€™s very good news,â€ said Douglas County Commissioner Dan Van Slyke, who has spearheaded the countyâ€™s efforts to get the land transferred. â€œFor the first time in a long time, all the users down there are going to work in harmony.â€

The area around the lighthouse is owned by several county, state and federal agencies.

Many riders take their ATVs on land where they are banned because of confusion about the different agenciesâ€™ rules.

Hello, My name is Greg Hoover, my wife and I own Discovery Point Resort located in Winchester Bay Oregon.
Below is a letter that I sent out to friends and visitors of Discovery Point Resort. We have been fighting this closure for over a year. I am posting to every forum I can find. If you want to copy and paste to a forum, please feel free.
Thought you might be interested.

Greg (genetically correct)

On Apr. 15th Simi and I attended the Oregon Parks Department meeting in Medford.

The meeting was attended by Douglas County commissioner Dan Van Slyke, Jeff Powers (county Parks) Keith Cubit (head of planning for the county),Charlie Murphy (President of the Reedsport Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce), John Lechuga (from the chamber) along with two of our neighbors, and of course Michael Carrier (chairman of Oregon State Parks) and 6 members of the advisory committee.
Simi spoke and asked again for a survey of the visitors to the lighthouse and reiterated our points of opposition.
Everybody said their piece and the advisory committee debated and then voted to adopt the master plan. we lost the battle, our direct dune access, and 107 acres of dunes.

In a recent article in the Eugene Register Guard

"It's a quandary," said John Blackwell, chairman of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission.
Some of the plan's opponents, and "even some (parks) council members think of ATV people as genetic defects."
But he added: "They're here; their fees are going toward policing and education; it's a type of people, a type of industry we can't deny. We need to work with them as best we can."

As I sat a the meeting I looked at each committee member and wondered which one of them considered us "genetic defects".
These are the same people behind our proposed beach closures and most of the plover and spotted owl closure's. Judging by their comments and questions and by doing some research I can tell you that they are extremely "green".... I also found out that they are in charge of allocating the state ATV funds!!!!!! Oregon residents take note of this! These funds add up to millions of our dollars.
This is their web site http://atv.prd.state.or.us/grants.ph

ASA Volunteer and SupporterYou're just jealous because the voices only talk to me.

"It's a quandary," said John Blackwell, chairman of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission.
Some of the plan's opponents, and "even some (parks) council members think of ATV people as genetic defects."
But he added: "They're here; their fees are going toward policing and education; it's a type of people, a type of industry we can't deny. We need to work with them as best we can."

It is real sad that someone in his position is so clearly bigoted. I would hate to hear what he 'really' thinks if this is what he says on public record. This guy has no business being on that commission and efforts to remove him should be made.